Wild Horses of Cumberland Island

Wild Horses of Cumberland Island

Anouk Krantz

Anouk Krantz

Wild Horses of Cumberland

Island

Foreword

Cumberland Island is a rarity on the United States’ East Coast in that it moves to a slower speed. It’s a secret you want to share that focuses on life’s basics and is a powerful reminder that “less is more.” Anouk Krantz has come to appreciate how vital these basics needs are to her existence as a grounded wife, mother and artist through her many visits over the last decade.

We have hosted Anouk at our home next to Greyfield for years, and I always admired how she would set off at dawn so she could explore and capture the island and its wild horses, returning muddy, sandy and tired at dusk. She has been relentless in her determination to chronicle Cumberland’s wildlife and wilderness into a remarkable long-term documentary. She even faced a few tugs with the swampy marshes, where she once was forced to rely on her survival instincts to save herself, rolling out the way my father had always instructed us, all in pursuit of her art.

The island’s slow sophistication philosophy is the defining trait throughout her work.

Oliver “Mitty” Ferguson

Oliver “Mitty” Ferguson is the grandson of Lucy Ferguson, a Carnegie descendant, and owner of Cumberland Island’s Greyfield Inn. Mitty, along with Mary Jo, oversee Greyfield Inn that was originally built as the home of one of the Carnegie children.

Wild Horses—An Ethereal Presence

These breathtaking accouters with nature are all remarkable in their own right, but it’s when you get your first glimpse of the island’s mysterious and majestic wild horses that your heart will start racing. Surprisingly, the horses themselves are never in a hurry. They move about casually, their regal gait slow, elegant, and deliberate, without a concern for your presence. These horses represent a window into a life in which all of our simplest needs and desires are realized. We envy their ability to live on their own terms, seemingly at peace among themselves, surrounded by such extraordinary beauty, with the natural wonders and rich variety that can only be found on Cumberland. Scholars and naturalists are unable to pinpoint the origins of these horses. It is likely that the early Spanish missionaries were the first to bring them to Cumberland Island. Today Cumberland’s wild horses are left completely alone, untouched and unmanaged. As a fascinating display of their adaptation to island life, the many bands are constantly moving about the island so that most can access various ecosystems to find required nutrients and fresh water. It is the combination of the island’s extraordinary beauty, rich history and the enduring legacy of these majestic horses that combine to create the ultimate escape that exudes a simple sophistication.